Despite the best efforts of the Biden administration to move toward green alternatives, oil remains a vital commodity to not only the American economy but also global civilization in general. Easy access to the substance can be the deciding factor between a country&#8217;s prosperity and its descent into chaos and poverty.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-nixes-plan-to-help-refill-strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it had canceled plans to help refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, citing a rise in crude oil prices to $85 a barrel. The government had previously announced in March that it would solicit up to 3 million barrels for a facility in Louisiana as part of its efforts to resupply the SPR.
The Energy Department claimed to be “keeping the taxpayer’s interest at the forefront.” The agency said, “We will not award the current solicitations for the Bayou Choctaw SPR site and will solicit available capacity as market conditions allow,” adding, “We will continue to monitor market dynamics.”
In an attempt to stimulate skyrocketing gas prices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration <a href="https://rollcall.com/2022/10/19/biden-to-announce-more-oil-reserve-sales-to-reduce-gas-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiated</a> a 180-million-barrel <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-announce-new-actions-to-strengthen-u-s-energy-security-encourage-production-and-bring-down-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drawdown</a> of the SPR in 2022, decreasing the reserve to its <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/02/biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-levels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lowest level in decades</a>. Since that drawdown, Biden has slowly purchased more oil, around 32 million barrels, but the reserve is still well below where it was before Biden took office.
<div id="attachment_719633" style="width: 779px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-719633" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-719633" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-769x576.jpg" alt="FREEPORT, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: In an aerial view, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage at the Bryan Mound site is seen on October 19, 2022 in Freeport, Texas. US President Joe Biden is planning to release fifteen million barrels of oil from the nation's emergency reserves in an effort to continue curving gas prices around the country. The deal completes Biden's March initiative to release 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)" width="769" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-769x576.jpg 769w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px" />Brandon Bell/Getty Images</div>
The SPR currently stands at <a href="https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/pdf/table1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">363.6 million barrels</a> according to recent data, down from around <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-business-opec-climate-and-environment-cd15107ef2e0bb49db9165eb190b450c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">600 million</a> barrels in late 2021 and nearly half the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/spr-quick-facts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authorized storage capacity</a> of 714 million barrels.
Though the administration&#8217;s decision on the SPR was received passively by the mainstream media, it&#8217;s actually a pretty massive deal for those who remember why it was created in the first place.
The SPR, “the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil,&#8221; was established in 1975 specifically to &#8220;reduce the impact of disruptions in supplies of petroleum products&#8221; in the wake of the oil crisis of the mid-1970s, the Energy Department <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a>.
In retaliation for supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, the Arab-dominated OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Arab-oil-embargo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> an embargo on oil exports to the United States. Within a year, the price for a barrel of oil in the U.S. quadrupled, and the nation suffered its first oil shortage since World War II.
In response, the federal government lowered the national speed limit to 55 mph in order to reduce oil consumption, several states <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/05/13/gas-shortages-1970s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> rationing schemes, and gas lines <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2012/11/10/164792293/gas-lines-evoke-memories-oil-crises-in-the-1970s#:~:text=During%20two%20separate%20oil%20crises,they%20tried%20to%20fill%20up." target="_blank" rel="noopener">became</a> common. One common scheme to control gas consumption was to only allow cars with license plates that ended in an odd number to refuel on an odd day of the month, and vice versa for cars with license plates ending in an even number.
<div id="attachment_719631" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-719631" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-719631" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-866x576.jpg" alt="Drivers queue for fuel at a petrol station near Trenton, New Jersey, USA, circa 1974. The country has been hit by worldwide fuel shortages caused by the oil embargo imposed by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC). (Photo by Frederic Lewis/Archive Photos/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Frederic Lewis/Archive Photos/Getty Images</div>
The U.S. economy <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/arab-oil-embargo-40-years-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shrank</a> by an estimated 2.5% because of the crisis. Though the embargo was ended after negotiations between the U.S. and OPEC in March 1974, the surge in prices and unemployment contributed to the stagflation the plagued the U.S. economy for the rest of the decade.
After it was established in 1975, the SPR was quickly stocked throughout the 1980s, remaining relatively stable during the next three decades and even reaching a high of over 715 million barrels around 2010.
The oil crisis also motivated the government to encourage more domestic oil production, <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/1973-energy-crisis-definition-5222090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reducing</a> the nation&#8217;s reliance on OPEC oil from around 70% of total oil imports in the early &#8217;70s to around 16% <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&amp;t=6#:~:text=Crude%20oil%20imports%20of%20about,%2C%20and%20U.S.%20Virgin%20Islands)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">today</a>. The U.S. also sources a majority of its oil imports from Canada. Still, the U.S. imports over 8 million barrels of oil per day from around the world, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&amp;t=6#:~:text=Crude%20oil%20imports%20of%20about,%2C%20and%20U.S.%20Virgin%20Islands)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Energy Information Administration, and as shown by the global supply chain disruptions seen during the pandemic, global events can still wreak havoc on domestic prices.
The SPR was not intended to be used as the president&#8217;s oil piggy bank — broken open to drive down gas prices and shore up his party&#8217;s chances in the upcoming midterms. It&#8217;s there to stave off the gas lines that marked the 1973 oil crisis and keep the military machine going in the event the nation is cut off from overseas oil.
A full-scale conflict in the Middle East — home to major oil exporters like Iraq and Saudi Arabia — or a war between the U.S. and China in the Pacific would certainly sow discord in global trade. If global tensions continue to escalate and the SPR remains understocked, the president threatens to leave the nation disastrously short of a critical product for a significant length of time.

Remember The ’70s Oil Crisis: Biden’s Reluctance To Restock America’s Oil Reserves Should Be A Massive Red Flag

Remember The '70s Oil Crisis: Biden's Reluctance To Restock America's Oil Reserves Should Be A Massive Red Flag

Biden Administration

Energy

Middle East

OPEC

Readers Pass

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

U.S.

Iranian-backed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/houthis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houthi terrorists</a> struck an oil tanker near the Arabian Peninsula on Friday as President Joe Biden refuses to take adequate military action to stop the group from conducting routine attacks that are disrupting global trade in the region.
&#8220;On Jan. 26, at approximately 7:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda,&#8221; U.S. Central Command said in a statement. &#8220;The ship issued a distress call and reported damage.&#8221;
&#8220;USS Carney (DDG 64) and other coalition ships have responded and are rendering assistance,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;No injuries have been reported at this time.&#8221;
Purported images of the ship that circulated online showed fire-crews trying to extinguish a blaze that was on the deck of the ship.
Trafigura, the firm operating the ship, said the vessel was carrying &#8220;Russian naphtha purchased below the price cap in line with G7 sanctions,&#8221; Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/ukmto-reports-incident-60-nautical-miles-south-east-yemens-aden-advisory-note-2024-01-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that the incident happened approximately 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen.
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&#8220;A Merchant Vessel has been struck by a missile and remains on fire,&#8221; UKMTO said. &#8220;Coalition Warships are in attendance and supporting the vessel. All crew are reported safe.&#8221;
During the early morning hours on Saturday, CENTCOM said that it conducted a self-defense strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile.
&#8220;On Jan. 27 at approximately 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command Forces conducted a strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch,&#8221; CENTCOM said. &#8220;U.S. Forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, and determined it presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region.&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. Forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels.&#8221;

Daily Life In Colombo

Houthi Terrorists Strike Oil Tanker In Gulf Of Aden

Houthis

Terrorism

World

Yemen

The Alaska Democratic Party is exploring amending its platform to call for an end to all oil drilling and fracking in the state, according to documents obtained by The Daily Wire.
In a document where members of the Alaska State Democratic Party&#8217;s Climate Caucus can suggest changes to the party&#8217;s platform, some are calling for a complete end to oil development in one of America&#8217;s premier oil-producing states.
One member of the caucus, Tim Hinterberger, condemned oil development in its entirety. Hinterberger, a professor at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, proposed that the party delete a statement from its current platform that pledges support for &#8220;responsible oil development performed in a manner that protects our fish, game, and wildlife resources.”
&#8220;At this advanced stage of climate disruption, no oil development is responsible,&#8221; Hinterberger wrote.
<div class="image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-667453 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-300x145.jpg" alt="" width="862" height="417" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-300x145.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-1024x496.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-768x372.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-1536x743.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-2048x991.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 862px) 100vw, 862px" /></div>
While some in the Alaska Democratic Party call for a complete end to oil production, the state’s economy remains largely dependent on the industry. Alaska produced <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/where-our-oil-comes-from.php">159,611,000 barrels</a> of crude oil in 2022, making it the fifth-highest producer of any American state. The oil industry was also estimated to have been <a href="https://www.akrdc.org/oil-and-gas#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20the%20industry%20accounted,%244.8%20billion%20in%20Alaska%20wages.">responsible</a> for $4.8 billion in wages and 77,600 direct and indirect jobs in 2018. The oil industry even accounts for about one-half of the state’s total economy when taking into account state spending of revenues from the industry.
The statement in support of “responsible oil development” was just one such line that those involved in editing the platform are calling on the party to remove. Must Read Alaska <a href="https://mustreadalaska.com/climate-cult-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-democrat-in-alaska-new-platform-may-oppose-all-oil-and-gas/">reported</a> that those involved in the modification of the platform also urged the party to ax a separate portion of the platform that advocated for oil and gas to be procured under certain circumstances.
The report found that those editing the document also urged the party to remove a portion that read “the monetizing of Alaska’s North Slope natural gas resources in a safe and environmentally responsible manner as soon as it is economically feasible to do so” and also advocated for offshore drilling and fracking under certain circumstances.
The calls for an end to oil development come as the oil industry in Alaska has experienced decline, retreating significantly from 1998 the state accounted for a quarter of the United State’s oil production.
Rick Whitbeck, the Alaska State Director of <a href="https://powerthefuture.com/about-us/">Power the Future</a>, a nonprofit organization that advocates for those who work in the energy space, warned that curtailing the state’s petroleum industry would have devastating consequences and charged that the proposed change to the Democratic Party’s platform is “both irresponsible and radical.”
“Alaska would quickly be bankrupt if our petroleum industry was shuttered.  Nearly 20% of our private-sector workforce is paid – directly or indirectly – by oil and gas development revenues, so you’d see a mass exodus of people as well,” Whitbeck told The Daily Wire. “Philanthropy would dry up, our vibrant arts and culture programs would go unfunded and our infrastructure would crumble without revenues to keep them maintained.”
He went on to contend that the Biden administration currently has a “choke-hold” on new energy developments, which means that the U.S. “needs all of the existing projects operating full-throttle, so we don’t become even more dependent on foreign countries for our domestic oil demand.”
Alaska’s only statewide elected official from the Democratic Party, Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK), declined to comment directly on the potential changes in the state party’s platform, but did assert that losing the oil and gas industry would significantly damage the state’s economy.
“Oil and gas supports thousands of jobs in-state, directly and indirectly, and provides crucial revenue for the state and local communities. Losing these industries without effectively transitioning to other energy sources would be significantly harmful to Alaska,” Rep. Peltola’s office told The Daily Wire before pointing to her support of the Willow Project, which she <a href="https://alaskapublic.org/2023/09/06/peltola-nearing-one-year-in-office-touts-her-support-for-willow-and-other-energy-projects/">called</a> “the largest North Slope oilfield investment in decades.”
Tim Hinterberger did not respond to a request for comment.

Alaska Oil Pipeline

Alaska Democratic Party Considers A Call To End All Oil Production

Alaska

Environment

Oil and Gas

An oil refinery inside <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran</a> went up in flames over the weekend, triggering several massive explosions.
The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, or IRNA, said that all 18 reservoirs at the refinery in eastern Iran&#8217;s Birjand special economic zone caught fire.
&#8220;The initial stages of the fire consumed 1.5 million litres of fuel,&#8221; Iranian officials <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/refinery-reservoirs-near-eastern-iranian-city-birjand-catch-fire-irna-2023-12-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The Jerusalem Post <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-777396" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Iranian officials were leaning toward letting the fire burn itself out because it was too dangerous for firefighters to get close enough to attempt to extinguish it.
There was no indication of what caused the fire or whether it was an accident or sabotage. Iran had not yet tried to blame anyone.
While it could have been an accident, it&#8217;s worth noting that the fire — which easily caused millions of dollars in damage — comes as Iranian-backed terrorists in Yemen have attacked Israeli shipping vessels over the past few weeks, causing damage to the ships and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iranian-backed-houthi-terrorists-seize-cargo-ship-in-red-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hijacking another</a>.
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The Houthi terrorists vowed over the weekend that they would increase their attacks on ships going to Israel in response to Israel destroying Hamas terrorist forces inside Gaza.
The Houthis &#8220;will prevent navigating all the ships heading to the Zionist entity from any nationality, if the food and medicine keep not accessing the Gaza Strip, and the will become a legitimate target for our armed forces,&#8221; said Houthi terrorist spokesperson Yahya Sare’e. The terrorist said that any ship headed toward Israel or affiliated with Israel would be targeted by the terror group.

oil refinery

Oil Refinery Goes Up In Flames Inside Iran

Fire

General

Iran

When challenged to explain why he has been unable to fulfill a campaign promise to crack down on drilling for oil and gas, President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> said the <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/bidens-oil-gas-moratorium-dealt-potentially-fatal-blow-federal-court">courts stormed in</a> and ruined his plans.
Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, asked the question during one of Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-biden-finally-sits-down-for-an-in-person-interview-with-the-weather-channel">rare sit-down interviews</a>, this one taking place at the Grand Canyon.
“Let’s talk Gen Z, because they’re going to play a big role in the next presidential election, and many of them are angry about the 7,000 oil and gas permits you approved since you’ve been in office,&#8221; Abrams said. &#8220;You promised no new drilling on federal land or offshore. Can you tell Gen Z that you haven’t broken your promise?”
Biden, who is running a 2024 re-election campaign, replied, &#8220;Yes, because the courts overruled me. The courts said I couldn’t do it. I wanted to stop all drilling on the East Coast and the West Coast and in the Gulf. But I lost in court. But we&#8217;re still pushing — we&#8217;re still pushing really very hard!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;You promised no new drilling on federal land or offshore. Can you tell Gen Z that you haven&#39;t broken your promise?&quot;
BIDEN: &quot;I wanted to stop ALL drilling &#8230; but I lost in court! But we&#39;re still pushing really very hard!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/cvnK1d819g">pic.twitter.com/cvnK1d819g</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1689223404908367872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Indeed, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/20/climate/biden-drilling-federal-lands.html">as noted by The New York Times last month</a>, Biden&#8217;s administration has been &#8220;compelled&#8221; by federal court decisions to continue selling drilling leases — outpacing the Trump administration during the same duration of time and leading to major oil and gas companies notching record profits in 2022.
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Karoline Leavitt, a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/karoline-leavitt-join-trump-super-pac-spokeswoman">spokeswoman</a> for the pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., argued Biden&#8217;s comments about drilling could damage him politically ahead of a potential general election rematch against former President Donald Trump.
&#8220;How long until the White House walks back this radical position to save face for the general election?&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/kleavittnh/status/1689241173540454400">said in a post to X</a>. &#8220;But Biden said it — he wants to stop ALL drilling, kill ALL energy jobs, and increase prices for ALL Americans. If he has 4 more years, he will! We need Trump!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WEDNESDAY:<a href="https://twitter.com/StephanieAbrams?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephanieAbrams</a> sits down for an exclusive interview with <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> to discuss our changing planet. Join us on air and on our TV app: <a href="https://t.co/Feaf8zT3Ip">https://t.co/Feaf8zT3Ip</a> <a href="https://t.co/3cFrsfVy6I">pic.twitter.com/3cFrsfVy6I</a>
&mdash; The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) <a href="https://twitter.com/weatherchannel/status/1689092919116865536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Biden also insisted that the private sector is &#8220;coming off the sidelines&#8221; by investing in renewable energy.
&#8220;They’ve invested $250 billion in alternative energy. They’re building solar facilities. They’re building — there&#8217;s electrolyzers to take hydrogen and turn it — I mean there’s so much going on. Finally, finally, no one can any longer deny that we don’t have a problem with climate change.”
The interview comes after a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/08/07/biden-white-house-climate-policy/">found</a> 57% percent of Americans disapprove of Biden&#8217;s handling of climate change.

Joe Biden

Biden Laments How Desire To ‘Stop All Drilling’ Got Blocked In Court

Biden Laments How Desire To 'Stop All Drilling' Got Blocked In Court

Executive

Politics

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-iran-envoy-placed-on-leave-after-probe-into-handling-of-classified-material-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran</a> attempted to seize two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday, firing shots at one of them before the U.S. Navy responded and forced Iran’s vessels to back off. 
The ship that received fire displayed Bahamian flags but was Greek-owned and American-managed, according to Ambrey, a maritime intelligence service, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/gulf-iran-us-tensions-shipping-oil-127f8b77aa7e41dcd8266b6fbe5800dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The ship was on its way to Singapore from the United Arab Emirates. The Navy said that the tanker targeted with gunfire did not report any casualties or major damage, and both oil tankers continued their voyages after the U.S. responded to distress calls.
“The Iranian navy did make attempts to seize commercial tankers lawfully transiting international waters,” said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, the AP reported. “The U.S. Navy responded immediately and prevented those seizures.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Today <a href="https://twitter.com/USNavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USNavy</a> stopped the Iranian Navy from seizing commercial oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iran</a> <a href="https://t.co/PQAa1YnXRp">pic.twitter.com/PQAa1YnXRp</a>
&mdash; The Foreign Desk (@ForeignDeskNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignDeskNews/status/1676674896351449115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Iran <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/second-oil-tanker-week-seized-by-iran-gulf-us-navy-2023-05-03/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seized</a> two oil tankers in one week earlier this year, and the U.S. nemesis has taken at least five tankers in the past two years, according to the Navy. Most of the seizures occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of all crude oil must pass through. The Biden administration has increased ship patrols in the area since Iran’s escalated seizures. 
Iran raided and seized an oil tanker bound for the U.S. in April, claiming the ship collided with an Iranian vessel. The country, <a href="https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">designated</a> by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism, aired footage of the raid on state TV, showing Iranian commandos taking control of the tanker. 
In April, the U.S. seized an Iranian oil ship and is soon expected to begin unloading oil from it. The ship is anchored off the coast of Texas, the Financial Times <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/807b8a7b-b831-4b09-a061-23a2cc7cab71%5C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The Iranian vessel was seized after being scrutinized for allegedly taking Iranian oil intended for China from another ship near Singapore. 
The tanker seizures come as tensions between the U.S. and Iran rise over Iran’s nuclear program. After former President Donald Trump ended the nuclear deal with Iran, reports indicate that the Biden administration is attempting to broker a “back-door” deal with the country. American allies in the region, such as Israel, have warned against an agreement with Iran, arguing it would give them funds to continue to sponsor terrorism around the globe and especially in the Middle East. 
Last week, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/biden-admin-denies-interim-iran-deal-report-suggests-continued-diplomatic-backdoor-dealings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News, &#8220;There is no nuclear deal in the offing,&#8221; adding that the administration has &#8220;made clear to Iran that they should not take steps that would escalate tensions and have been urging Iran to take a de-escalatory path.&#8221; 
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-102078">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;We believe diplomacy is the best path for ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, but as we have said, we are preparing for all possible contingencies in full coordination with our partners and allies,&#8221; the spokesperson said.

U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy Thwarts Iran’s Attempt To Seize Oil Tankers After American-Managed Ship Fired Upon

U.S. Navy Thwarts Iran's Attempt To Seize Oil Tankers

Global Politics

U.S. Military

Welp, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a>’s phony baloney 2024 Right-wing pivot is here. 
Biden&#8217;s about-face on critical issues ahead of his re-election bid has been evident ever since he helped deep-six Washington, D.C.&#8217;s soft-on-crime overhaul. It was a shrewd move that isolated his far-Left colleagues and blunted GOP attacks that blame Biden and his party for the crime wave plaguing the nation.
In recent weeks though, Biden has taken his political reversal to a whole new level. Now, Biden claims Republicans are the ones who are weak on border security and want to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/say-what-biden-claims-it-is-republicans-who-want-to-defund-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defund the police</a>. It&#8217;s hard to say if voters will buy it, but the media probably will.
Biden’s 2024 play is obvious. He&#8217;ll malign whomever the Republican nominee is as an &#8220;ultra-MAGA extremist.&#8221; You can hear him now: &#8220;If it weren’t for these MAGA Republicans, I could get stuff done with reasonable GOPers, like I did on gun reform and the Inflation Reduction Act.&#8221;
Biden tweeted Wednesday that, “MAGA House Republicans put out extreme budget proposals that would eliminate funding for over 2,000 border patrol agents – undermining our ability to combat drug trafficking.”
Never mind that the tweet is <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-republicans-call-cutting-border-patrol-agents-1789250">entirely false.</a> Worse, Biden thinks that the problem with illegal immigration appears to be that it isn’t orderly enough. As long as border crossers come in “legally” while requesting asylum, Biden&#8217;s just fine with adding entire cities&#8217; worth of foreign nationals to the U.S. population. In his mind, the problem with the border isn&#8217;t that it&#8217;s a sieve, it&#8217;s just a matter of paperwork. And those folks pouring over from Mexico? They&#8217;re not illegal immigrants, they&#8217;re “legal asylum seekers.”
“My budget keeps our borders secure while expanding legal pathways for migrants seeking asylum,” he added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MAGA House Republicans put out extreme budget proposals that would eliminate funding for over 2,000 border patrol agents – undermining our ability to combat drug trafficking.
My budget keeps our borders secure while expanding legal pathways for migrants seeking asylum. <a href="https://t.co/a90LrwAxyF">pic.twitter.com/a90LrwAxyF</a>
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1638222897620692995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
How about this bit of stirring oratory that someone wrote for Scranton Joe: “The greatness of a nation isn&#8217;t just measured by the strength of its army, the vastness of its geography, or the size of its economy.&#8221;
“It&#8217;s also measured in the vitality of its culture. A democratic culture – forged in the ability to speak and think freely.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The greatness of a nation isn&#39;t just measured by the strength of its army, the vastness of its geography, or the size of its economy.
It&#39;s also measured in the vitality of its culture.
A democratic culture – forged in the ability to speak and think freely.
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1638382635704627200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Protecting America&#8217;s borders and culture? All he needs to do is throw in &#8220;language&#8221; and he&#8217;ll sound like Michael Savage.
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This is the same guy who in early March <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/14/biden-claims-republicans-in-congress-pushing-defunding-the-police/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;MAGA Republicans are calling for defunding the police department and defunding the FBI now.&#8221;
“That&#8217;s a good one,” he added. “I like that.&#8221;
Anybody who has been paying attention knows this all entirely backwards. The president — as he has done his entire career — is shifting his magniloquence based on what is politically expedient.
Biden has to run for re-election as a moderate if he wants to have any chance of winning. But protean politics is no problem for him. He admitted as much way back in 1974. 
“I don’t think the issues mean a great deal in terms of whether you win or lose,” he <a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/1974/06/01/joe-biden-kitty-kelley-1974-profile-death-and-the-all-american-boy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an interview with The Washingtonian. “I think the issues are merely a vehicle to portray your intellectual capacity to the voters &#8230; a vehicle by which the voters will determine your honesty and candor. The central issue of my campaign … was to convince the people that I was intelligent and to convince them that I was honest.”
You&#8217;ll note his goal was not to actually be smart and trustworthy, just to “convince” voters he was. Biden&#8217;s latest attempt to trick voters into thinking he&#8217;s a different guy is just proof that after all these years, he hasn&#8217;t changed a bit.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

(Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Welp, Biden’s Phony Baloney Right-Wing Pivot Is Here

Welp, Biden's Phony Baloney Right-Wing Pivot Is Here

2024 Election

Biden Admin

Border Crisis

MAGA

The Republican-led House passed on Thursday legislation banning the United States from selling and exporting crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/communist-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a>.
More than 100 Democrats joined their GOP counterparts, who raised concerns last year about the Biden administration selling <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-mace-bidens-sale-of-u-s-oil-reserves-to-china-may-support-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly a million barrels</a> from the reserve to a Chinese state-controlled crude giant.
The final tally for the &#8220;Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act&#8221; was 331-97. Six members did not vote, <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202331" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the House clerk</a>. Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), who introduced the bill, <a href="https://mcmorris.house.gov/posts/mcmorris-rodgers-leads-passage-of-h-r-22-to-prevent-the-sale-of-spr-oil-to-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called it</a> &#8220;one of the most bipartisan votes on an energy bill in many years and multiple congresses.&#8221;
Despite receiving support from both sides of the aisle, the bill is not expected to be taken up by the Senate under the leadership of the Democrats, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-votes-ban-sales-strategic-petroleum-reserve-china/story?id=96397178" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ABC News</a>. Still, the vote Thursday was one of two bipartisan acts focused on Beijing during this fledgling session of Congress under the leadership of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), following a vote Tuesday in which <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nearly 150 Democrats joined Republicans</a> to establish the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/22/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Under the legislation</a> passed Thursday, the energy secretary, &#8220;[n]otwithstanding any other provision of law,&#8221; is prohibited from drawing down or selling petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve &#8220;to any entity that is under the ownership, control, or influence of&#8221; China&#8217;s Communist Party &#8220;except on the condition that such petroleum products will not be exported to the People’s Republic of China.&#8221;
According to the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Energy Department website</a>, the SPR is &#8220;the world&#8217;s largest supply of emergency crude oil … established primarily to reduce the impact of disruptions in supplies of petroleum products and to carry out obligations of the United States under the international energy program.&#8221;
As part of a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-announce-new-actions-to-strengthen-u-s-energy-security-encourage-production-and-bring-down-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">180-million-barrell drawdown</a> through which the government sought to stabilize global oil markets and <a href="https://rollcall.com/2022/10/19/biden-to-announce-more-oil-reserve-sales-to-reduce-gas-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">combat rising gasoline prices</a>, the Biden administration announced in July 2022 a number of contracts for the purchase of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Among those contracts to 14 companies was one for about 950,000 barrels awarded to Unipec America, a subsidiary of Communist Party-owned Sinopec Corp.
<a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-contract-awards-additional-crude-oil-sales-strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Energy Department said</a> these sales were meant to &#8220;address the significant global supply disruption caused by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war on Ukraine, act as a bridge for domestic production to increase, and help stabilize volatile energy costs for American families.&#8221; But in a letter sent a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, House Republicans <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-mace-bidens-sale-of-u-s-oil-reserves-to-china-may-support-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised concerns</a> about U.S. oil possibly being used by China to support Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine and warned of the potential for Hunter Biden, the president&#8217;s adult son, receiving money from the deal because of the <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/how-chinese-companies-linked-to-hunter-biden-could-bail-out-putin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">financial links</a> between his private equity firm and the Chinese energy sector.
The Energy Department <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-repurchase-oil-strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced in December 2022</a> an effort to repurchase crude oil for the SPR, but Republicans remained distressed by Biden&#8217;s strategy.
“To cover up his failed policies driving our energy and inflation crisis, President Biden is draining our nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves at an alarming rate,&#8221; McMorris Rodgers said in her statement Thursday. &#8220;America’s SPR — once the world’s largest stockpile — have been depleted to the lowest levels since 1983. To date, President Biden has released more from the SPR than all U.S. presidents in history combined. Millions of barrels of that oil have gone to China, which now has the world’s largest government-controlled stockpile of oil. Draining our strategic reserves for political purposes and selling it to China is a significant threat to our national and energy security.&#8221;
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, voted against the bill. &#8220;If Republicans were serious about addressing the issue they would have brought forward a bill that banned all exports of oil — crude oil to China,&#8221; <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?525320-1/house-session" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pallone said on the House floor</a> Thursday. He added: &#8220;If we truly want to address China using American oil to build its reserves, let’s actually take a serious look at that, rather than skirt around the issue because Republicans are scared of Big Oil’s wrath.&#8221;

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Republican-Led House Votes To Ban Oil Reserve Sales To China

Communist China

Congress

U.S. House of Representatives

A ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee is launching a broad probe into reports of President Joe Biden&#8217;s &#8220;secret deal&#8221; with Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) is calling on leaders at the Department of Energy (DOE), State Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to explain Biden&#8217;s strategy.
&#8220;The Committee is investigating reports of a &#8216;secret deal to boost oil production&#8217; between the Biden Administration and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,&#8221; Comer wrote in a <a href="https://republicans-oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022-12-4-Saudi-Secret-Deal.pdf">letter</a> to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, citing a New York Times article from October.
“If his Administration is engaging in backdoor market manipulations with adversarial nations while jeopardizing our national security for the sake of securing more favorable election conditions for Democrats, the American people have a right to know,” he continued.
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The information was requested by December 19.
Comer is expected to become the chair of the House Oversight Committee when Republicans return to the majority in the House next year. Along with other GOP leaders, the congressman is concerned about an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/25/us/politics/us-saudi-oil-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged effort</a> with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and other OPEC+ nations to cut oil production by two million barrels per day in October.
American gas prices began climbing shortly afterward ahead of the midterms.
“Since day one in office, President Biden has waged war on American-made energy and driven up costs for Americans,&#8221; Comer <a href="https://republicans-oversight.house.gov/release/comer-presses-for-docs-about-president-bidens-energy-crisis-secret-deal-with-saudi-arabia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;President Biden has unilaterally shut down the Keystone XL pipeline, implemented a moratorium on oil and gas production on federal lands, drained critical oil reserves, and pushed policies that directly resulted in skyrocketing energy prices. With one-party Democrat rule in Washington, they’ve weaponized their unchecked power, waged a war against American-made energy production, and forced Green New Deal policies on the American people.”
“Oversight Republicans have pushed senior Biden Administration officials for answers and will continue to seek their plans to reverse energy policies detrimental to the American people and our national security. With the power of the gavel, we will hold the Biden Administration responsible for recklessly attacking a critical industry that provides the American people affordable energy and good-paying job opportunities,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨NEW🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a> launches probe into President Biden’s energy crisis that is harming the pocketbooks of Americans.
He is calling on senior leadership to provide information related to the Biden Administration’s failed policies.<a href="https://t.co/6wsLrQrhZ5">https://t.co/6wsLrQrhZ5</a>
&mdash; Oversight Committee Republicans (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1599439154760122368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Saudi Arabia has long served as a concern over human rights.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youre-letting-him-get-away-with-murder-jake-tapper-torches-biden-for-giving-saudi-prince-a-pass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> regarding the Saudi crown prince claiming immunity in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. WaPo publisher Fred Ryan criticized Biden when the news was reported, accusing the president of effectively granting a “license to kill.&#8221;

Biden in Saudi Arabia

GOP Rep Launches Probe Into Reports Of Biden’s ‘Secret Deal’ With Saudi Arabia Ahead Of Midterms

Saudi Arabia

There&#8217;s a straightforward solution that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> could enact in order to alleviate the nation&#8217;s ongoing energy crisis.
President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> needs to remove government barriers to oil production and signal to the industry that America is open for business.
It looks like Biden loves the idea — except not for American oil. Over the Thanksgiving break, the Treasury Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/put-america-last-biden-gives-chevron-greenlight-to-start-pumping-oil-in-venezuela-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it would allow Chevron to resume pumping oil in Venezuela.
Curiously, the Biden administration claims that it removed the sanctions on the socialist country for reasons other than bringing down the costs of fuel.
“This action is not being taken in response to energy prices, this is a limited license,&#8221; an anonymous official told Politico. &#8220;As we have said in the past, this is about the regime taking the steps needed to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.&#8221;
So interestingly enough, the Biden administration thinks that temporarily assisting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro&#8217;s regime takes precedence over the battle against climate change.
Democracy in Venezuela is more important than stopping carbon emissions. Yet fighting climate change remains more important than helping the average American by taking steps to ensure more domestic production of oil. So to keep track of Biden&#8217;s priorities it goes: 1) Venezuelan democracy, 2) climate change, and dead last is affordable energy for Americans.
Never mind putting the kibosh on American oil, the Biden administration has also taken steps in recent months to squander the country&#8217;s relationship with Guyana — an ally in South America.
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/bidens-dirty-oil-deal-with-venezuela-free-elections-guyana-environmental-reparations-strategic-value-pdvsa-11669579238" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According</a> to The Wall Street Journal, America recently blocked a $70 million loan from U.S.-based bank IBD Investments that would have allowed Guyana to upgrade necessary infrastructure in the country to allow exports of its oil.
WSJ columnist Mary Anastasia O’Grady said the Biden administration&#8217;s &#8220;reasoning was based on August 2021 Treasury &#8216;guidance on fossil fuel energy at the multilateral development banks,&#8217; which says that the U.S. will &#8216;promote ending international financing of carbon-intensive fossil fuel-based energy.'&#8221;
Who is stepping in to assist Guyana? The Chinese Communist Party.
As O&#8217;Grady put it, &#8220;The U.S. government thinks you’re a fool, dear reader.&#8221;
The Biden administration &#8220;expects you to believe that Venezuela is considering a return to free elections in exchange,&#8221; she wrote.  Venezuela&#8217;s partners with Iran and the Venezuelan people have suffered for decades thanks to the socialist principles and policies in play in the South American nation.
Meanwhile, the regime will undoubtedly become wealthier thanks to the Biden administration.
At the same time, the Chinese are working to increase their stature in the region by producing the necessary funding for Guyana&#8217;s oil industry to prosper.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it should be noted, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-devastating-blow-to-john-kerrys-green-energy-utopia-china-to-start-increasing-coal-production" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignored</a> the Biden administration&#8217;s call to reduce Co2 emissions. It has, to put it bluntly, taken climate czar John Kerry to the woodshed on numerous occasions and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jetsetter-john-kerry-asks-worlds-poorest-to-cut-back-on-oil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often don&#8217;t answer his emails</a>.
So if communist China and ultra-socialist Venezuela are benefiting from the Biden team&#8217;s ineptitude, then who is suffering? The American people.
Despite being on the brink of true energy independence upon coming into office, the Democrats in charge have done everything imaginable to reduce fossil fuel production, destroy Americans&#8217; jobs, and ratchet up the price of gas. In its place, they push costly electric vehicles and praise the &#8220;transition.&#8221;
In other words, Biden prefers communist oil, not American-produced. To paraphrase the Journal, it is a &#8220;dirty deal.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Biden Prefers Communist Oil, Not American-Produced

Communism

Fossil Fuels

Venezuela

Democrat President Joe Biden faced backlash over the weekend after his administration announced it would allow Chevron to resume pumping oil in socialist Venezuela.
The move from the leftist Biden administration reversed restrictions that the Trump administration had put on companies in an effort to oust socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro.
&#8220;On November 26th, the Unitary Platform and the Maduro regime announced the resumption of talks in Mexico City; a humanitarian agreement focused on education, health, food security, flood response, and electricity programs that will benefit the Venezuelan people; and agreement on the continuation of talks focused on the 2024 elections,&#8221; the Treasury Department said in a statement. &#8220;Following this announcement and consistent with U.S. government policy, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Venezuela General License (GL) 41, authorizing Chevron Corporation to resume limited natural resource extraction operations in Venezuela.&#8221;
The statement said that the move by the administration to &#8220;provide targeted sanctions relief&#8221; was based on the Venezuelan government&#8217;s recent actions to help its people and &#8220;support the restoration of democracy.&#8221;
The sanctions relief that the administration is providing to Venezuela will last six months, at which point it could be revoked or amended.
Venezuela&#8217;s economy was wrecked by its &#8220;state-run economic model&#8221; that &#8220;wasted the world’s largest oil reserves,&#8221; CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/02/venezuela-inflation-at-10-million-percent-its-time-for-shock-therapy.html">reported</a> in 2019. The report added that inflation in the country had reached a peak of nearly 10 million percent that year since 2018, which left many unable to feed themselves.
The move by the Biden administration to ease sanctions on Venezuela comes as the administration has been hostile to issuing new drilling permits in the U.S., which has invited intense criticism.
Former White House Economic Adviser Stephen Moore <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-allowing-chevron-drill-venezuela-makes-absolutely-no-sense-stephen-moore">said</a> Sunday that the move by the administration makes no sense and puts America last.
&#8220;I literally almost fell out of my chair reading this headline that says we&#8217;re going to allow, you know, Chevron to do drilling in Venezuela,&#8221; Moore told Fox News. &#8220;This is the same administration that won&#8217;t allow us to do drilling here in the United States, not in Texas, not in Oklahoma, not in Alaska, not in West Virginia. But we can pump oil from Venezuela. It makes absolutely no sense. It&#8217;s put America last energy policy.&#8221;
&#8220;And by the way, when Trump left office and I helped Trump on energy policy, our whole policy was to make America totally energy independent so we wouldn&#8217;t have to rely on countries like Venezuela and Iran and Russia,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And so somebody explain this one to me because it makes no sense.&#8221;

Nicol·s Maduro Press Conference After Controversial Parliamentary Elections

‘Put America Last’: Biden Gives Chevron Greenlight To Start Pumping Oil In Venezuela Again

Biden Gives Chevron Greenlight To Start Pumping Oil In Venezuela Again

The Biden administration is close to granting a license to Chevron to resume pumping oil in Venezuela, following previous reporting that President Joe Biden would ease sanctions on the socialist country to allow the U.S. oil company to continue production.
Chevron has retained stakes in Venezuelan oil fields through its joint ventures with Venezuela’s state-run oil company Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-poised-to-grant-chevron-license-to-pump-oil-in-venezuela-11669231901?mod=e2tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The new license would allow Chevron to regain partial control of its production and maintenance in Venezuela.
The new license is contingent on an expected announcement from the Venezuelan government and its political opponents to implement a $3 billion humanitarian program using funds recently unfrozen by the U.S., and to resume talks to resolve the socialist country’s political crisis by implementing free and fair elections, the Journal reported.
The license would not be permanent and would require renewal in the future, but once granted, it would allow Chevron to operate in Venezuela under a sanctions framework similar to what was in effect in 2019 when former President Donald Trump’s administration implemented sanctions in an effort to oust Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro.
The Biden administration initially signaled that it would allow Chevron to resume pumping oil in Venezuela in October when Russia and Saudi Arabia announced they would massively reduce oil production to just two million barrels per day, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-ease-sanctions-on-socialist-venezuela-releases-maduros-convicted-narco-trafficker-nephews">reported</a>.
At the same time, the Biden administration also released convicted narco-traffickers related to Maduro in exchange for hostages taken by the regime, a move that could incentivize other hostile foreign powers to detain American citizens so they can use that as leverage over the Biden administration.
“Well, the two Venezuelans that were released are the nephews of Maduro who happen to be convicted drug dealers,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said. “They were put in jail after being convicted after a fair trial in the United States. Evidence was produced and it was overwhelming.”
“That has now put a price tag on Americans. Every time you do one of these deals — and I wanted those people released as much as anybody,” Rubio continued. “But every time you do this, now others know, I can take Americans, I can hold them until I need something as a bargaining chip.”
Rubio said that the trade was a big win for the socialist dictator: “So I think seven innocent American hostages in exchange for two convicted drug dealers who happen to be the nephews of Maduro is a huge win for Maduro and, unfortunately, puts Americans all over the world now in danger.”
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.

President Biden Meets With Mexican President Obrador In The Oval Office

Biden Administration Preparing To Give Chevron License To Pump Oil In Venezuela

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